Thursday, May 19, 2016

Grand Ole Opry 5/20 & 5/21

The Grand Ole Opry has announced the schedule for the four shows this weekend. Yes, that is correct as the Opry has scheduled two shows for Friday and Saturday night. The reason? An appearance this weekend by Grand Ole Opry member Carrie Underwood, who is scheduled for all four shows. I have written about Carrie Underwood and her commitment to the Opry before but it needs repeating. In today's world of the Opry, when a new member comes on, Pete Fisher asks for a commitment of 10 appearances each year. Carrie joined in 2008, and that year she made 9 appearances. Since then, her record is as follows: 2009-10; 2010-6; 2011 & 2012-8; 2013, 2014 and 2015-10. For 2016, these are her first 4 appearances and she has 2 more scheduled in June. That will put her up to 6. There is no doubt she will get close to the magic number of 10 again this year. This is from a person who had a baby last year and has been touring heavily. (in fact, she was in Cleveland last night). You compare her record with Keith Urban, who hasn't been on the Opry since 2014 and since he joined in 2012, has made just 10 total appearances, or Blake Shelton, who since 2012 has appeared just 7 times. The attendance for a few others, including Trisha Yearwood, who joined in 1999 is even worse. (and I didn't even include those who joined prior to Pete taking over when there was no commitment, which I think some of the artists took as no commitment). While I know that not everyone is a Carrie fan, I think we all appreciate that she does take time to do the Opry. As far as other Opry members this weekend, Mike Snider and Bill Anderson will also be on all 4 shows, while Friday night will include John Conlee, Riders In The Sky, Jesse McReynolds (1st show only) and Bobby Osborne (2nd show only). Saturday night, it will be Connie Smith and The Whites joining Mike, Bill and Carrie. The big name guest artist on Friday night is Toby Keith. Toby has appeared on the Opry before and I am sure he will be well received. Exile and Daryle Singletary will join Toby along with Charles Esten from the recently cancelled Nashville show. Speaking of Nashville, the word on the street is that it is going into world-wide syndication and that the show producers are shopping it around to another network, probably on cable. There is interest in the show if the costs can be brought down. Saturday night's guest artists include Exile, as they are appearing on all 4 weekend shows, bluegrass group Mountain Heart and Maren Morris, a young female country singer making her Opry debut. She currently tours with Keith Urban and is touring in support of new music. Finally, Dallas Wayne is making a guest Opry appearance. In addition to being a host on Sirius/XM satellite radio, Dallas is also a fine country music singer. It will be nice hearing him on the Opry. Friday May 201st show7:00: John Conlee (host); Daryle Singletary; Jesse McReynolds7:30: Mike Snider (host); Exile; Charles Esten8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Toby Keith8:30: Riders In The Sky (host); Carrie Underwood2nd show9:30: Mike Snider (host); Daryle Singletary; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press10:00: John Conlee (host); Carrie Underwood10:30: Bill Anderson (host); Exile; Charles Esten11:00: Riders In The Sky (host); Toby KeithSaturday May 211st show7:00: Connie Smith (host); Mike Snider; Maren Morris7:30: The Whites (host); Exile8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Dallas Wayne; Mountain Heart; Opry Square Dancers8:30: Carrie Underwood2nd show9:30: Connie Smith (host); Maren Morris10:00: Mike Snider (host); Carrie Underwood10:30: Bill Anderson (host); Dallas Wayne; Mountain Heart; Opry Square Dancers11:00: The Whites (host); ExileThat comes out to 10 acts for each show on Friday night, with Jesse McReynolds and Bobby Osborne the only non-repeats. Of the 10, 6 are Opry members. On Saturday night, it is just 9 for each show, of whom 5 are Opry members. Now what is interesting is that on Saturday night, Dallas Wayne is scheduled to be hosting the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree. The website is still listing the taping of the jamboree at 10:00. With Dallas scheduled to appear on the 10:30 segment of the Opry, it will be interesting to see how he pulls that off. I am also a little surprised that the Opry didn't work with him more regarding the schedule. And now, here is the posted Grand Ole Opry line-up from five years ago, the weekend of May 20 & 21, 2011:Friday May 207:00: Riders In The Sky (host); Jean Shepard; Rhonda Vincent7:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jesse McReynolds; Mark WillsIntermission8:15: Bill Anderson (host); Jan Howard; Dierks Bentley8:45: Vince Gill (host); Mike Snider; Patty LovelessSaturday May 217:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jeannie Seely; James Wesley7:30: Mike Snider (host); Jack Greene; Gene WatsonIntermission8:15: Bill Anderson (host); Riders In The Sky; Bo Bice; Opry Square Dancers8:45: Vince Gill (host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Patty LovelessNow from ten years ago, the weekend of May 19 & 20, 2006:Friday May 198:00: Porter Wagoner (host); The Whites; Trent Willmon8:30: John Conlee (host); Jack Greene; Wylie & The Wild West9:00: Riders In The Sky (host); Jan Howard; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; T. Graham Brown9:30: Jimmy C Newman (host); Susan Haynes; Mountain HeartSaturday May 201st show6:30: Jeannie Seely (host); The Whites; Lane Turner7:00: Pam Tillis (host); Catherine Britt; Del McCoury Band7:30: John Conlee (host); Elizabeth Cook; Wylie & The Wild West8:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Stu Phillips; T. Graham Brown; Opry Square Dancers8:30: Riders In The Sky (host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Andy Griggs2nd show9:30: Pam Tillis (host); The Whites; Catherine Britt10:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Lane Turner; Del McCoury Band10:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Elizabeth Cook; T. Graham Brown; Opry Square Dancers11:00: John Conlee (host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Wylie & The Wild West11:30: Riders In The Sky (host); Ray Pillow; Charlie Nagatani; Andy GriggsFinally, from fifteen years ago, the weekend of May 18 & 19, 2001:Friday May 187:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Connie Smith; Bill Carlisle; The Whites8:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jeanne Pruett; Billy Walker; Tammy Cochran8:30: Jimmy C Newman (host); Stu Phillips; Hot Club of Cowtown; Mel McDaniel

I love seeing Bradley Kincaid in that lineup. It's sad his influence has been lost to time. One of the few acts to have been part of the WLS National Barn Dance and the Opry. He helped spread country music throughout the New England states; published songbooks; and was proberly and one point a bigger star than Jimmie Rodgers. Personally, I believe he should have became a Hall Of Famer before Pop Stoneman and DeFord Bailey.

Bradley Kincaid is one of those people who will never get his just due unless the CMA brings back its posthumous induction category. The Wilburn Brothers, Dottie West, The Carter Sisters and Jerry Reed are in the same boat. I can name a dozen artists and business people who are not in the Hall of Fame simply because they had the bad taste to pass on. The CMA likes it's big annual party and I guess it spoils the fun if the guest of honor can't be there in person. Just my 2 cents.

Totally agree. Seems like the songwriters and musians are the execption, and they lack. Imagine Bob Wills records without Tommy Duncan, and the same with Buck Owens and Don Rich. Or a Saturday night Roy Acuff appereance without Bashful Brother Oswald. All three need enshrined. And then there is Jenny Lou Carson, the most successful country songwriter of the 1940s with the expection of Cindy Walker.

Barry, Bradley Kincaid also was the one who said to a young performer, "You look like an old grandpa." It stuck with Louis Marshall Jones. I believe Bradley Kincaid also gave him his boots. Mentors often go in AFTER their students--consider Dolly and Porter, for example. But how Bradley Kincaid is not in there ....

David B, now they have the instrumentalist category and, if you think about it, Don Rich and Bashful could go in there?

Go back to the mass induction of 2001 and not one musician was inducted in that group. Before that, to have found a true musician inducted, you would have to go back to 1973 and Chet Atkins, although he was considered a musician/record producer

I guess my point is that so far the musician category has favored 100% of the time, Nashville based, primarily studio musicians. There is nothing wrong with that as that was a talented bunch with more to go. But the category is called "Recording and/or Studio Musician." I think the voters have forgotten the touring part of that category, which is pretty much were Don Rich and Oswald would fall into. Hopefully in 2 years they will remember.

When I was at the Opry in February, I did the backstage tour and the guide was explicit in stating that the 10 show per year commitment is not current. He said that the Opry management works with each artist's management to determine an appropriate commitment that is just between those parties. I know I see the 10 shows/year thrown around a lot, but doesn't seem it is correct, at least anymore. Of course, it could also be the Opry's story of "saving face" to the public about why certain members are no shows.

Hi Joe, and thanks for the comment. And I am glad you got down to the Opry and did the backstage tour. I am sure what the guide said, which I am sure was from their script, was the Opry's way of explaining why most of the members hardly ever appear on the Opry. I can tell you, from first hand sources, that any new member who has joined the Opry since Pete Fisher took over as the general manager in 1999, is asked to commit to 10 appearances each year. I can also tell you that there is no contract holding the artists accountable. Years back, prior to Pete Fisher taking over, both Hal Durham and Bob Whitaker both invited artists to become Opry members with no commitment at all, which is one reason why you see the likes of Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Reba and others, hardly ever on the Opry. I will say overall, those invited to join by Pete have done a much better job being at the Opry. He has missed on a few, but overall his record is actually better than Hal and Bob's.

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I am a nationally recognized independent historian of the Grand Ole Opry. In addition to being the publisher and writer of Fayfare's Opry Blog, I have also researched Opry information for numerous authors and interested Opry fans. A resident of Canton, Ohio, I have attended hundreds of Grand Ole Opry shows since my first visit to Nashville in 1973. I can be contacted via email at bfay54@gmail.com